Zimbabwe’s livestock is unlikely to be significantly affected by El Niño because the country currently has better vegetation coverage than it has had over the past three years, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture has said.
Speaking in an interview during World Food Day celebrations at Chirota Irrigation Scheme in Mutoko, Professor Obert Jiri said current vegetation conditions are providing adequate grazing and water for livestock.
“Now that El Niño is approaching, it should not cause any panic. It is drier now, and when we receive adequate rains, we urge farmers to start planting. However, we encourage them to consider drought-tolerant crops,” he said.
Professor Jiri said vegetation conditions, as measured by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), were currently better than those recorded over the previous three seasons.
“In terms of the NDVI, which tracks the performance of vegetation, this is the best year compared to the last three seasons. We are experiencing the best vegetation cover, which means our livestock are not suffering despite the El Niño forecasts.
“There is adequate grazing and adequate water for livestock, which is the opposite of what El Niño would ordinarily bring. So there is no need to panic,” he said.
Periods of poor rainfall can place pressure on livestock farmers as grazing deteriorates and water sources dry up. Farmers may then be forced to travel longer distances in search of pasture and water or purchase supplementary feed, increasing production costs.
